Chicken and Waffles

Yes, that is right, chicken and waffles. If you still think this is a weird combination then you are clearly still living in the dark ages. The salty chicken and the sweet waffle with the spicy hot sauce and sweet syrup. YUM!

Yes, we are frying, in oil. Yes, that is fattening and not really healthy. That being said, this meal is a treat. You shouldn't be making this once a week. I am an extremely healthy individual who works out and is careful about the foods I eat, however, I love to indulge every now and then.

Here are a couple of tips:
1. For the chicken, use whatever you like best. I used a whole chicken that I cut into 10 pieces (I cut the breasts in half to make 4, then 2 thighs, 2 legs, and 2 wings). If you don't want to do that or maybe you are a light or dark meat person, just buy what you like. Make sure that whatever you use has the skin on and, if possible, the bone-in.
2. When frying the chicken, use a deep cast-iron or metal skillet with straight sides that isn't non-stick. You need to have the oil 3/4 of an inch deep so you want a skillet that is at least 1 1/2 inches deep.
3. I use vegetable oil when I fry food, that is my personal choice. Use whatever you like to use, from canola to peanut, just not olive oil because it will burn.
4. You must use a candy thermometer to keep your oil at the correct temperature. If you don't have one, here is a link to the one I have:Taylor Candy Stainless Steel Thermometer

Chicken and Waffles

Chicken- Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit's  Skillet Fried Chicken
2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 4-lb. Chicken, cut into 10 pieces, backbone and wing tips removed (you can use any kind of chicken pieces, I just prefer the mix from the whole chicken)     
1 cup buttermilk     
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon hot sauce (if you don't like it spicy, you can adjust for your taste)    
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Oil of your choosing for frying (I use vegetable, but canola and peanut work well too)

Waffles- I use this recipe from allrecipes.com Waffles I- I have provided the exact recipe below.
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 vegetable oil (or applesauce for healthy version)
2 TBS. white sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, mix together 1 TBS. Kosher salt, 2 tsp. pepper, 1 1/2 tsp. paprika, 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. onion powder. Add your chicken pieces and rub the spice mix into the chicken. Cover and store in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let is sit on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce. In a 2" deep baking dish  (or Tupperware, just make sure it is deep enough) mix together flour, cornstarch, 1 tbs. kosher salt, 1 tbs. pepper, 1 tsp. paprika, 1.2 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. onion powder.
4. Pour oil into a cast iron or heavy bottomed straight sided skillet to 3/4" depth. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F.
5. While the oil heats, dredge the chicken. I use one hand for wet and one for dry. Working one piece at a time, place chicken in the buttermilk mixture, then into the flour mixture. Coat completely with flour, shaking off the excess, and place onto a plate or baking sheet until you are ready to fry. I dredge all the chicken before I start frying so I don't have to worry about it while I cook the chicken.
6. Once your oil heats up, place in 4 pieces of your dredged chicken, careful not to over crowd the pan. Make sure your temperature stays between 300°F and 325°F, adjusting your temperature as needed. Turn your chicken every 5 minutes until it is golden brown and the internal temperature is 165°, about 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

7. While you chicken cooks, preheat your waffle iron.
8. Beat eggs in a large bowl with hand mixer until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil (or applesauce), sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla, just until smooth.
9. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick spray/ Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. My waffle iron takes 3.5 minutes. I put them on a wire rack a warm oven to keep them crisp and warm.

10. Once your chicken is done, place them on a wire rack, immediately sprinkle with salt, and let them cool while you cook the rest of the chicken, or for about 5-10 minutes.
11. To serve, place waffle on the plate and put a piece of chicken on top. I put a healthy amount of both hot sauce and syrup over the top of the chicken and waffle.

*If you want to enjoy leftovers, reheat in a 350 degree oven. The waffles only take about 3-5 minutes and the chicken takes about 20 minutes.

Happy Pinterest Wandering!
Brooke :)